Week 1:
This week we analyzed the play Wedding Band in which a major theme is prejudice. For my news item I wanted to write about a time when I felt looked down upon by another. Although I am fortunate enough to not have had this happen to me very often, coming from an almost entirely Irish-Catholic community, there was an instance last week which made me feel embarrassed and powerless. I was out with a few of my friends last week waiting in line to get into a bar. I went up to the front of the line to have a brief chat and then decided to return to my friends. While making my way back, I was confronted by a man who told me, "Get back to the end of the line, you dumb b." Seeing as that's where I was already going, I wondered what prompted this sort of response from him. I wondered if I wasn't so short or if I was a man if he would have said the same thing to me. Afraid to retaliate, I spent the rest of the night frustrated and upset.
Week 2:
My roommates and I were discussing our nationalities. I was surprised to find out that my other roommate comes from a very similar background to me as well as religion. It made me feel like we had grown closer in a very short amount of time. We spent a good time reminiscing about our times in Catholic school and about the similar experiences we shared. I haven't really spoken much with her in the past, so it felt nice to gain some common ground with her and get to know her a little better.
Week 3:
I was out to dinner with my father for my sorority's daddy daughter weekend. While we were eating he said a German phrase. The reason this was surprising was because my father has never spoken German before, besides the occasional "danke." My great grandparents came to America from a small German village in Russia, and my great grandfather was somewhat against German being spoken in the home. Since they were in America, they would speak English. Because of this, I'm glad that my father absorbed some knowledge of the language. Although it was never what my great grandparents wanted, I was sad that their culture was going unpracticed.
Week 4:
The talk of the week is, of course, Trump's travel ban. My family is all Republican, and I am extremely moderate and try to not get involved in politics. Still none of us had a great feeling about Trump's presidency. This travel ban reaffirmed our anxieties. I remember how angry I was hearing about the accounts of U.S. citizens being denied entry into the country, even those who have served in the military. I immediately called my mother to hear her opinion on the matter. I love my parents and respect their opinions very much. My mother, who absolutely hated Hilary, surprised me with similar sentiments to mine. This makes me believe that this not a matter of politics but a lack of human decency.
Week 5:
On my way to a mini dance marathon I was participating in, I decided to creep around on the internet. This class has made me think a bit more about my background and my ancestors, so I decided to research a bit on my great grandmother on my dad's side. After a few google searches with increasing specificity, I found a facebook page dedicated to my great grandma's parents and their descendants. This page was made for photos and recipes to share with the family. I even found a picture of my great grandparents, Christine Schneider and John Altergott! I immediately confirmed the photo with my father and linked him to the page. Here's a link to the page so I don't forget: https://www.facebook.com/AlexandChristineSchneiderFamily/
Week 6:
For Valentine's Day my boyfriend and I went hiking on Stone Mountain. The sights were beautiful and it was a moderately difficult hike up the mountain, however some aspects came as a sort of culture shock to me. I grew up in Northern Illinois around Chicago and moved south fairly recently. I learned quite a lot about the civil war and the confederacy growing up, but I thought it was mostly gone and forgotten. However, Stone Mountain had many confederate flags, memorials, and even Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson carved into the side. I know where I'm from this would not go over very well, but I also don't necessarily feel that it's a bad thing. If this was all to be taken down, it would be like we were trying to erase history. I feel like it should all stay so we can acknowledge history and the mistakes of the past, as well as remember all of those who sacrificed their lives for what they believed was right.
Week 7:
On Friday I went to the pool with a few of my friends. It was almost 80 degrees so the pool deck was completely packed with people. One thing I noticed was that the people present were mostly big muscular white guys that I would otherwise label as "tools" and little skinny white girls. My friend pointed out to me that there was even one guy who was noticeably flexing the entire time, which I found hilarious. I'm not sure why there was such a lack of diversity at the pool that day, but it definitely was obvious.
Week 8:
The Academy Awards were this weekend, and although I did not get the chance to watch them real-time I did watch highlights. One thing I noticed while watching that the president of the Academy was a black woman. I did not find it surprising that she held this position because of her race or gender, but because of the nature of the film industry. Plus there have always been accusations of racism and prejudice alongside these types of award ceremonies. To me, alongside with the awards that films such as Fences and Moonlight, this is a step towards a more positive direction in film. The awards this year seemed more inclusive and less biased towards the usual white, heterosexual films.
Week 9:
My professor informed our class today that the House passed a bill that would allow employers to require the genetic testing of their employees. If the employee refuses, then they would be faced with financial penalties. Not only would requiring this information be a bit invasive, but it would also allow for genetic discrimination. I found it strange that I can now relate this news to this diversity course. As a science major I knew that our genetic makeup was very diverse, but I never thought that it might be brought into our every day lives. The thing that bothers me about this law is that the supporters say that it will provide for less expensive health insurance and more efficient wellness programs, but I'm not sure how that would work out. Instead I think that employers obtaining this information would lead to discrimination against those who may have a genetic disorder or have the chance of developing a genetic disorder.
Week 10:
I went to the movies to see Logan on Monday and we saw a preview for a new movie based on an anime filmed called Ghost in the Shell. The reason I had heard about this movie beforehand was because they cast Scarlett Johansson as the lead role. Many people believe that this is yellowface because this movie is based on a Japanese film and the character has a Japanese name. Initially I agreed with this. I honestly haven't seen the original film, but I am aware that Hollywood often neglects to cast Asian American women in leading roles. However the original director recently came out with a statement saying that it is not actually yellowface since the character is a modified android and the original film never commented on her prior race. The issue at hand is that Scarlett Johannson is a big time actress and will allow the film to make more money. Although an Asian American actress should be playing this role, Hollywood is giving up authenticity for the sake of profit.
Week 11:
In genetics class we learned about the creation of a human-pig hybrid embryo created via the new CRISPR-CAS tech. In the scientific community this type of animal is called a chimera. I immediately thought of this as "really awesome," and I decided to share this news with my father. He responded saying that it would be an amazing opportunity for those in need of organ transplants, but when would we decide whether it was too human to kill and use for organs. This got me thinking about how we define humanity. It the chimera was sentient and human-like, would we be able to use it for it's intended purpose or would that be unethical. Would we have just created a monster?
This week we analyzed the play Wedding Band in which a major theme is prejudice. For my news item I wanted to write about a time when I felt looked down upon by another. Although I am fortunate enough to not have had this happen to me very often, coming from an almost entirely Irish-Catholic community, there was an instance last week which made me feel embarrassed and powerless. I was out with a few of my friends last week waiting in line to get into a bar. I went up to the front of the line to have a brief chat and then decided to return to my friends. While making my way back, I was confronted by a man who told me, "Get back to the end of the line, you dumb b." Seeing as that's where I was already going, I wondered what prompted this sort of response from him. I wondered if I wasn't so short or if I was a man if he would have said the same thing to me. Afraid to retaliate, I spent the rest of the night frustrated and upset.
Week 2:
My roommates and I were discussing our nationalities. I was surprised to find out that my other roommate comes from a very similar background to me as well as religion. It made me feel like we had grown closer in a very short amount of time. We spent a good time reminiscing about our times in Catholic school and about the similar experiences we shared. I haven't really spoken much with her in the past, so it felt nice to gain some common ground with her and get to know her a little better.
Week 3:
I was out to dinner with my father for my sorority's daddy daughter weekend. While we were eating he said a German phrase. The reason this was surprising was because my father has never spoken German before, besides the occasional "danke." My great grandparents came to America from a small German village in Russia, and my great grandfather was somewhat against German being spoken in the home. Since they were in America, they would speak English. Because of this, I'm glad that my father absorbed some knowledge of the language. Although it was never what my great grandparents wanted, I was sad that their culture was going unpracticed.
Week 4:
The talk of the week is, of course, Trump's travel ban. My family is all Republican, and I am extremely moderate and try to not get involved in politics. Still none of us had a great feeling about Trump's presidency. This travel ban reaffirmed our anxieties. I remember how angry I was hearing about the accounts of U.S. citizens being denied entry into the country, even those who have served in the military. I immediately called my mother to hear her opinion on the matter. I love my parents and respect their opinions very much. My mother, who absolutely hated Hilary, surprised me with similar sentiments to mine. This makes me believe that this not a matter of politics but a lack of human decency.
Week 5:
On my way to a mini dance marathon I was participating in, I decided to creep around on the internet. This class has made me think a bit more about my background and my ancestors, so I decided to research a bit on my great grandmother on my dad's side. After a few google searches with increasing specificity, I found a facebook page dedicated to my great grandma's parents and their descendants. This page was made for photos and recipes to share with the family. I even found a picture of my great grandparents, Christine Schneider and John Altergott! I immediately confirmed the photo with my father and linked him to the page. Here's a link to the page so I don't forget:
https://www.facebook.com/AlexandChristineSchneiderFamily/
Week 6:
For Valentine's Day my boyfriend and I went hiking on Stone Mountain. The sights were beautiful and it was a moderately difficult hike up the mountain, however some aspects came as a sort of culture shock to me. I grew up in Northern Illinois around Chicago and moved south fairly recently. I learned quite a lot about the civil war and the confederacy growing up, but I thought it was mostly gone and forgotten. However, Stone Mountain had many confederate flags, memorials, and even Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson carved into the side. I know where I'm from this would not go over very well, but I also don't necessarily feel that it's a bad thing. If this was all to be taken down, it would be like we were trying to erase history. I feel like it should all stay so we can acknowledge history and the mistakes of the past, as well as remember all of those who sacrificed their lives for what they believed was right.
Week 7:
On Friday I went to the pool with a few of my friends. It was almost 80 degrees so the pool deck was completely packed with people. One thing I noticed was that the people present were mostly big muscular white guys that I would otherwise label as "tools" and little skinny white girls. My friend pointed out to me that there was even one guy who was noticeably flexing the entire time, which I found hilarious. I'm not sure why there was such a lack of diversity at the pool that day, but it definitely was obvious.
Week 8:
The Academy Awards were this weekend, and although I did not get the chance to watch them real-time I did watch highlights. One thing I noticed while watching that the president of the Academy was a black woman. I did not find it surprising that she held this position because of her race or gender, but because of the nature of the film industry. Plus there have always been accusations of racism and prejudice alongside these types of award ceremonies. To me, alongside with the awards that films such as Fences and Moonlight, this is a step towards a more positive direction in film. The awards this year seemed more inclusive and less biased towards the usual white, heterosexual films.
Week 9:
My professor informed our class today that the House passed a bill that would allow employers to require the genetic testing of their employees. If the employee refuses, then they would be faced with financial penalties. Not only would requiring this information be a bit invasive, but it would also allow for genetic discrimination. I found it strange that I can now relate this news to this diversity course. As a science major I knew that our genetic makeup was very diverse, but I never thought that it might be brought into our every day lives. The thing that bothers me about this law is that the supporters say that it will provide for less expensive health insurance and more efficient wellness programs, but I'm not sure how that would work out. Instead I think that employers obtaining this information would lead to discrimination against those who may have a genetic disorder or have the chance of developing a genetic disorder.
Week 10:
I went to the movies to see Logan on Monday and we saw a preview for a new movie based on an anime filmed called Ghost in the Shell. The reason I had heard about this movie beforehand was because they cast Scarlett Johansson as the lead role. Many people believe that this is yellowface because this movie is based on a Japanese film and the character has a Japanese name. Initially I agreed with this. I honestly haven't seen the original film, but I am aware that Hollywood often neglects to cast Asian American women in leading roles. However the original director recently came out with a statement saying that it is not actually yellowface since the character is a modified android and the original film never commented on her prior race. The issue at hand is that Scarlett Johannson is a big time actress and will allow the film to make more money. Although an Asian American actress should be playing this role, Hollywood is giving up authenticity for the sake of profit.
Week 11:
In genetics class we learned about the creation of a human-pig hybrid embryo created via the new CRISPR-CAS tech. In the scientific community this type of animal is called a chimera. I immediately thought of this as "really awesome," and I decided to share this news with my father. He responded saying that it would be an amazing opportunity for those in need of organ transplants, but when would we decide whether it was too human to kill and use for organs. This got me thinking about how we define humanity. It the chimera was sentient and human-like, would we be able to use it for it's intended purpose or would that be unethical. Would we have just created a monster?